Cotoneaster plant named &#39;Belka&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Cotoneaster dammeri  cultivar is provided which unlike previously known cultivars displays very good tolerance to fire blight ( Erwinia amylovora ). The foliage is attractive dense medium green and is semi-glossy on the upper surface and dull and pubescent on the under surface. A creeping growth habit with erect branching is displayed. Good cold tolerance has been observed. The new cultivar is well suited for use as an improved attractive low-growing ornamental ground cover.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Cotoneaster dammeri/Cotoneaster Plant

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

cv. ‘Belka’

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Cotoneaster cultivar that is botanically known as Cotoneaster dammeri.

The new cultivar is the result of the open pollination of the ‘Eichholz’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States) during 1994 at Dax (Les Landes), France. The male parent (i.e., the pollen parent) is unknown.

The parentage of the new cultivar can be summarized as follows: ‘Eichholz’×Unknown.

The resulting seeds were sown at Angers (Maine et Loire), France, and small plantlets were obtained which were physically and biologically different from each other. Selective study resulted in the identification of a single plant of the present invention.

It was found that this new Cotoneaster dammeri cultivar exhibits the following combination of characteristics:

(a) forms attractive dense medium green foliage that is semi-glossy on the upper surface and dull and pubescent on the under surface,

(b) exhibits a creeping growth habit with erect branching,

(c) is well suited use as an attractive low-growing ornamental ground cover,

(d) displays very good tolerance to fire blight (Erwinia amylovora), and

(e) displays good winter hardiness.

The new cultivar well meets the needs of the horticultural industry and can be used to provide attractive green ornamentation in the landscape. It is particularly well suited for use as a dense ground cover.

The very good tolerance to fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) is atypical for previously known Cotoneaster cultivars. Also, the winter hardiness is good with plants having withstood temperatures of −10° C. and −12° C. when growing in pots as well as in the field at Angers (Maine et Loire), France.

Plants of the new cultivar can be readily distinguished from their ancestors and other previously known Cotoneaster cultivars. For instance, the ‘Eichholz’ cultivar displays substantially less tolerance to fire blight as well as considerably less erect branching.

The rooting of cuttings has been used to asexually reproduce the new cultivar of the present invention at Angers (Maine et Loire), France. The characteristics of the new cultivar have been shown to be stable and to be firmly fixed following such asexual reproduction. The new cultivar asexually reproduces true to type from one generation to another.

The new cultivar of the present invention has been named ‘Belka’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the new cultivar in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this nature. The plants were grown outside in full sun in containers and in the landscape at Angers (Maine et Loire), France.

FIG. 1—illustrates a typical mature four year-old plant while growing in a container. The erect branching is readily apparent.

FIG. 2—illustrates typical three year-old plants while growing as a border in the landscape. The dense medium green foliage and creeping growth habit with erect branching are illustrated.

FIG. 3—illustrates typical stems, and foliage together with bright red hips.

FIG. 4—illustrates four typical bright red hips with tiny adhering peduncles.

FIG. 5—illustrates the semi-glossy upper surface of a typical mature leaf.

FIG. 6—illustrates the dull pubescent under surface of a typical mature leaf.

FIG. 7—illustrates a typical young pubescent stem with foliage.

FIG. 8—illustrates a typical mature marbled brown stem with some foliage also being visible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description while observing mature plants of the new cultivar following the rooting of cuttings. Such plants were approximately four years of age and were observed while growing outdoors in full sun at Angers (Maine et Loire), France.

-   Plant:     -   -   Growth habit.—Creeping with erect branching.         -   Height.—Approximately 25 to 35 cm on average.         -   Width.—Approximately 60 to 75 cm on average. -   Branches:     -   -   Stem length.—Approximately 20 to 30 cm on average.         -   Young stems.—Near Greyed-Purple Group 183B with dense             pubescence near Yellow-Green Group 145C in coloration.         -   Adult stems.—Near Greyed-Orange Group 177A marbled with             Greyed-Green Group 189D in coloration. -   Foliage:     -   -   General appearance.—Rather dense.         -   New foliage.—Upper Surface: Semi-glossy and near Green Group             137C in coloration, and the under surface is near             Yellow-Green Group 147D in coloration. — Under surface:             Dull, pubescent, and near Yellow-Green Group 147D in             coloration.         -   Old foliage.—Upper Surface: Near Green Group 137A in             coloration. — Under Surface: Near Yellow-Green Group 148B in             coloration.         -   Shape.—Generally elliptical.         -   Bearing.—Simple (one leaflet).         -   Length.—Approximately 1.76 cm on average.         -   Width.—Approximately 0.9 cm at widest point on average.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Apex.—Generally obtuse.         -   Base.—Generally obtuse to cuneate.         -   Petiole.—Approximately 0.4 to 0.5 cm in length on average,             rigid, pubescent on the upper and under surfaces, near             Greyed-Red Group 178A and 178B on the upper surface, and             near Yellow-Green Group 145C on the under surface. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Blooming time.—Mid-season in May and June.         -   Number.—Few.         -   Petal number.—Five.         -   Diameter.—Approximately 0.5 cm on average.         -   Color.—Near White Group 155A.         -   Hips.—Rounded to obovate in configuration, firm, commonly             approximately 0.45 cm in length on average, commonly 0.45 cm             in width on average, and near Greyed-Red Group 181A in             coloration.         -   Seeds.—Elongated in configuration, commonly three per hip,             and the coloration is near Greyed-Orange Group 164B and 164C             with Greyed-Red Group 179B and 179C at the tip. -   Disease resistance: Unlike other previously known Cotoneaster     dammeri cultivars, the new cultivar of the present invention     displays very good tolerance to fire blight. (Erwinia amylovora).     More specifically, it was superior when compared to twenty-two     specimens during observation to date. Fire blight commonly has been     recognized to be very destructive to Cotoneaster plants in the past.

Plants of the new ‘Belka’ cultivar have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light intensity and duration, cultural practices, and other environmental conditions. 

1. A new and distinct Cotoneaster dammeri plant having the following combination of characteristics: (a) forms attractive dense medium green foliage that is semi-glossy on the upper surface and dull and pubescent on the under surface, (b) exhibits a creeping growth habit with erect branching, (c) is well suited for use as an attractive low-growing ornamental ground cover, (d) displays very good tolerance to fire blight (Erwinia amylovora), and (e) displays good winter hardiness; substantially as herein illustrated and described. 